From Amy Coates Madsen, Director of the Standards for Excellence There have been a series of high-profile conflict of interest situations and ethical challenges in the nonprofit sector in the last few weeks and months. To many, these high-profile stories have served as a wake-up call to nonprofit board and staff leaders that they should be more focused on their governance in a way that is as ethical as possible. Here are three quick tips to start your journey of preventing conflicts of interest[…]

Last September, Standards for Excellence Director Amy Coates Madsen sat down with Ted Bilich of The Nonprofit Resilience and Growth Podcast to discuss what the Standards are and how nonprofit organizations benefit from implementing them. The podcast - along with timestamps - can be found here. […]

Pondering risk should inspire confidence and excitement about the possibilities, not excessive handwringing. Here are some practical ways to turn your risk worries into confidence-building conversations.[…]

There is more to running an ethical, accountable, and transparent nonprofit than just legal and accounting requirements. Boards of directors can set the tone for the organization by conducting regular reviews of core governing and operating policies and procedures. Check out these four things your board of directors can do to embrace ethical, accountable, and transparent values in the new year.[…]

Ron Barrett, COGENCY GLOBAL's Vice President of Nonprofit Services, reflects on his experience participating in the 2018 Standards for Excellence Institute Licensed Consultant Training.[…]

The Standards for Excellence Institute, an initiative designed to help nonprofit organizations operate more ethically and accountably, announces its 2018 Class of Licensed Consultants. […]

A long-tenured executive director is uncertain about how much longer he intends to stay with his organization and has talked with a few members of the staff about the possibility of leaving. He has not spoken to the board or stated a clear intention, and the board is hesitant to address the issue out of respect. How can this board and executive director act ethically? Read this article from the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, a Replication Partner based in Santa Clara, CA, to find out.   […]

Disengaged board members fail to meet their ethical obligations to nonprofit organizations. If the executive director believes their nonprofit could raise more funds and serve more people, but the board's lack of engagement is impacting growth, what options are there? Read this article from the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, a Replication Partner based in Santa Clara, CA, to find out. […]

Boards have an ethical duty to understand and fulfill their responsibilities to a nonprofit, including rigorous financial oversight. If a nonprofit loses $900,000 over eight years due to theft by the executive director, was the board acting unethically?  Check out this article from the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, a Santa Clara, California-based Replication Partner,  to find out.[…]

The Standards for Excellence Institute has been following a news story in Baton Rouge that raises important questions related to best practices in governance and management of nonprofit charitable resources, and provides a sharp example of the importance of embracing best practices, as articulated in the Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector.[…]